1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ecological coal and, more particularly, to the recovery and utilization of coal transformation by-products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ecological coal, characterized as smokeless coal, essentially consists of standard coal, which has been subject to a transformation process in order to produce a modified coal having high ignition facility, high energetic values, and low emission of dust, pitch and especially cancerigenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as compared with emissions from standard coal.
The ecological coal transformation process has been developed almost half a century ago. It was found to be an effective way of reducing, from raw coal, elements which are harmful to humans. However, ecological coal has not gained commercial acceptance yet, mostly since the cost of installation of the coal transformation plant and the exploitation costs thereof are prohibitive.